In the process of seeking reproductive wellness, I want to encourage you to pursue overall wellness and healthy meal planning, your efforts are worth it! I am amazed at what can be accomplished simply through proper nourishment and care. I’m going to talk a bit about vitamin B5 and cholesterol, addressing how today’s stress levels and fad diets can have a negative impact on your fertility.
There are two main components that go into making hormones and those are cholesterol and vitamin B5. These are the precursors that ultimately make your mother hormone pregnenolone that then goes into making your other hormones that you normally think of like estrogens, progesterone and testosterone. When you are low in B5 and cholesterol it can make it hard for your body to make the necessary hormones which ultimately affect your cycles or your ability to mature a pregnancy. Below you can see how B5 joins with cholesterol to help make all your important hormones and how not having these vital nutrients can negatively impact your overall health in relation to fertility and in other things like PMS, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), anxiety, insomnia and weight-gain.
B5 is also used to make the hormones that respond to stress, like cortisol. When you are under a lot of stress, you can use up all your B5 making cortisol which makes it hard for your body to use it to make the other important hormones, for instance, the ones needed for reproduction. At times in our society being busy, overworking ourselves and taking on more than we should can be seen as part of what defines success. Unfortunately when we are out of balance, our bodies have to deal with this perpetual “stressed state” which takes its toll on our physical and emotional wellbeing. Our reproductive health is directly affected when we live in a way that doesn’t allow for rest, nourishment and refreshment. I believe this is one of the reasons Americans have seen an increase in infertility in recent years.
As our society spins faster and faster it becomes even more important to find effective ways to relax. This is for your health overall and especially when thinking of starting a family. Find something that works for you, some ideas include:
- Just saying “no” when you know you have reached your limit
- Going for a walk in nature
- Exercise in general
- Meditation
- Spending time with loved ones
A second factor that has adversely affected fertility is the fat-free diet craze in our society. Unfortunately in an attempt to loose weight many women automatically think they need to cut out fat. While this may accomplish weight loss, it also means that many are not getting the good cholesterol present in healthy sources of fat. Without this good fat (cholesterol) you do not have the building blocks to produce your hormones and that can lead to infertility. Cholesterol is also made in your liver but the amount produced can be affected by stress, inflammation and the amount of sugars ingested from your daily diet.
A healthy balanced meal plan is the way to better health and an important step in seeking reproductive wellness. You can make sure you are eating good sources of these nutrients by incorporating the food listed below into your regular diet.
B5 sources:
- Avocado
- Sunflower seeds
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Portobello mushrooms
- Lentils
- Broccoli
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Grass-fed beef liver
Cholesterol sources:
- Eggs
- Protein including seafood
- Butter
- Cheese
I wish you wellness and fertility and hope that this article has helped you understand a bit more how your amazing body works and has encouraged you in your journey towards restoring your health!